


Plans May Change But Our Hearts Remain

by NightCourt_HighLady



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27764257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightCourt_HighLady/pseuds/NightCourt_HighLady
Summary: Phedre, the young girl with an affinity for water, never forgot the woman who told her to come to Orynth and ask for magic lessons.Finally, two and a half years later, she's in Orynth seeking Celaena Sardothien.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Plans May Change But Our Hearts Remain

**Author's Note:**

> This is definitely a one shot, but could have more added to it later if I have time. Let me know what you think!

Phedre took a deep breath.

After two long years, and several additional months of travel, she was finally in Orynth. 

Ever since the war ended a year or so ago, she’d been begging her Auntie to let her go to Orynth, to take up the offer of the lady who had told her to ask for training. But her aunt was still afraid. 

Adarlan had left before the woman had even come. The laws that caused magic users like her to hide were no longer in force. There was no reason not to practice, not to do what she could to help her village. 

But Phedre’s aunt wouldn’t ever let her go. Clearly, she didn’t trust the woman that had bought supplies in their tiny village. But Phedre knew. She saw how hard the woman had worked for her water powers. Who would fight that hard to connect with someone only to lie? 

There was no jealousy in her eyes, no lying. Nothing but awe and joy at seeing Phedre’s powers. She had seen the woman’s eyes light up when she said the word heal.

Every day, she prayed to the gods to convince her aunt to let her go. To make a way for it to be possible. 

But the answer was not what she expected.

Her auntie had been mauled by a bear in the woods while gathering herbs. After two or three long days, she’d died. 

Phedre had been in shock, taking care of their tiny cottage out of habit rather than any particular desire to do so. It took her long months to crawl out of the shock, and longer months to crawl out of the well of guilt that replaced the magic in her soul. Finally, finally, she was able to think. She was able to use the powers she was gifted with. 

And in that moment, she decided it was time to go to Orynth. Time to seek out Celaena Sardothian and tell her that she was here for magic lessons. 

Long, grueling months of travel later, she was here, standing off to the side just inside of the open gates. She couldn’t see everything fast enough. 

The inns and shops were packed together this close to the gate, shopkeepers standing at tables outside their buildings hawking their wares. The streets were clogged with horses, carriages, and people heading in and out of the city. Smells of foods, perfumes, horses, and people mingled in her nose and gave her a headache when combined with the shouting of the shopkeepers, the chatting of the patrons, and the underlying mixture of animal sounds.

And the people! Phedre could have watched the people all day. Humans, Fae, and Demi-Fae mingled in the streets, a riot of cultures and colors. The first coherent thought Phedre had was that Orynth, and by extension Terrasen, was truly a home for the homeless. Everyone was welcome in their fair city. 

Above the city, Queen Aelin Galathynius’s palace rose to watch over them. The graceful stone structure housed the royal family and their court. Phedre gulped, she knew that the palace was going to be the best place to go. She looked down at herself. Her dress and the leggings underneath were grubby and torn from her travels. Her long brown braid was tangled with leaves and dirt, and her skin was at least two shades darker with it. 

From somewhere inside her soul, she drew forth courage, and squared her shoulders against the formidable castle, the masses of people, and the throbbing headache caused by severe overstimulation. Slowly, she made her way to the palace. 

After wandering closer and closer to the palace over the course of an hour, she finally had to stop. Looking around, she saw a woman with two young children and kind eyes. She reached up and tugged on the woman’s elbow gently, trying to avoid leaving dirt on her dress.

“Yes, dear?” the woman turned to her with a slight smile. “Can I help you?”

“A couple of years ago, I was told to go to the palace at Orynth and ask for Celaena Sardothian. I just arrived here today and I’m trying to find the palace, can you help me?” The woman smiled more warmly.

“Of course,” she said. “Just follow this street until you see a tavern with a bird on its sign. Turn left, and then take the next right and keep going. That road will take you to the palace. You chose a good day to come, their majesties are holding public court today until the sun goes down, you will be able to ask them for help.” 

Phedre gulped at the thought of meeting the King and Queen, but knew that they would know best how to help her. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” she said to the woman.

“You are very welcome,” she replied. “Have a lovely day!” Phedre just waved and kept going. The tavern with the bird on the sign was busy, which made it easy to find. As instructed, she turned left, then right on the next street. This street was extremely busy, many people going to and from the palace. 

Close to the end of the street, she joined a short line of people who were being checked for weapons before entering the palace. 

“Name?” the guard at the gate asked when she reached it.

“Phedre,” she replied. “Phedre Gwenllian.”

“Are you a citizen of Orynth or Terrasen?”

“Terrasen, but not Orynth,” she told the guard. “I live in a small farming village near the Adarlanian border. We tithe to the Lord and Lady of Perranth.” The man looked her over for a moment, then called a name over towards the guardhouse.

“I’m going to check your bag,” he explained. “My colleague, Ingrid, is going to check you for weapons. It’s required for everyone.” Phedre nodded. A cheerful woman with blonde hair came out of the guardhouse and patted Phedre down carefully. 

“She’s fine,” Ingrid announced to the guard. He handed her her bag back and smiled at her.

“Welcome to Orynth, Phedre,” he said. She grinned back. “If you follow the path, you’ll find the doors, they’re open today, and they open right into the throne room. Get in the line you’ll find there, and their majesties will speak to you when your turn comes. 

“Thank you,” she replied, curtsying slightly and going through the gate.

Inside the gate was a lush forest very like the ones outside of the city. The only differences were that the trees were pruned and the path was cobbled and clearly marked. She enjoyed the mostly quiet path, it was a respite from the busy streets of Orynth. Distracted by the beautifully cultivated forest, she didn’t see the palace until she was right on top of it.

The graceful stone structure soared upwards, with several towers interspersed across it. The overall shape of the building came to a center peak, as though the palace was the tiara on top of Orynth. The massive double doors were made of oak, each with a stag’s head carved into it. Each stag was crowned with fire. 

Phedre barely noticed the crowd as she joined the line, simply staggered at the size of the entrance way and the throne room right behind it. The throne room soared up multiple stories, windows reaching to the top of the room to let in as much natural light as possible. The room was held up by massive stone columns carved with vines and flowers. 

It took her so long to take in the room that she was only two or three people away from the front of the line when her attention was grabbed by the group on the dias.

Queen Aelin wore a beautiful green dress, the new crown of Terrasen on her loose golden hair as she sat on her throne. Her legendary eyes shone, and she smiled easily both at her people and the male seated on the throne at her side.

King Rowan had a faint smile on his face as well, contrasting with the harsh lines of the tattoo that covered half of his face. His green eyes danced around the room, watching the crowds and guarding his wife. 

Also on the dais were a grinning, blonde Fae male, a brooding dark Demi-Fae male, and Prince Aedion Ashryver. Aedion was stationed by the queen’s left hand, the blonde behind her throne, and the brooding male was at the back of the dais, looking slightly bored.

Phedre forced herself to not shake as her turn came to approach the Court of Terrasen. She approached the throne and dropped to one knee before Aelin.

“What’s your name?” the queen asked in a vaguely familiar voice.

“My name is Phedre Gwenllian. I live in a very small village under the domain of the Lord and Lady of Perranth.” she began. “I met a woman two and a half years ago who could control water. Like me. She told me that after the war ended, I was to come to Orynth and ask for Celaena Sardothian and tell her that I had come for magic lessons.” 

A moment later, a very awkward, very familiar ball of water appeared before her nose. In surprise, she looked up. The queen was smiling at her, straining slightly to control the ball of water. 

“Y-you?” Phedre asked, reaching her hand to the water. 

“Yes,” Aelin told her. “Me.” Phedre reached inward for the magic, gently taking the sphere of water from her queen and turning it into the butterfly she’d once created for Aelin without even knowing who she was. 

She risked another look at the dias. King Rowan and Prince Aedion had gentle, soft smiles on their faces. As if they too remembered her. 

Finally, she met the turquoise and gold eyes of the woman who had given her hope. Aelin stood up and walked down the steps to her, dropping to her knees in front of the startled child, taking her hands.

“Welcome to Orynth, Phedre, I’m so glad you’re here.” Phedre grinned at Aelin.

“So am I, your majesty.”


End file.
